Possibility of an Electrophysiological Experimental model using Brainstem Evoked Potentials with multi-channel dural electrodes array in rats

摘要

The rat is one of the most popular experimental animals in medical fields. However, the rat is not so often used in complicated neurological studies because of its size of the brain. To investigate the localization of waveform of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), two rats were examined. Twelve or 13 platinum-rhodium coated electrodes were implanted on the dura mater through the cranial bone. The waveform of ABRs with 6 peaks was clearly recorded. These peaks were comparable with those of the human. However, the latency of these peaks was slightly shorter compared with that of the human. These 6 peaks were clearly identified in the waveform measured on the occipital area. On the other hand, these peaks recorded in frontal region were fused together. From these results, electrodes should be placed on the occipital area of the cranial bone to identify these peaks originated from brainstem by the auditory stimulation. Therefore, it is expected that latency changes can be evaluated clearly. This measurement system has a new possibility to analyze the details of various kinds of evoked potentials waveforms.